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Manchester United have formally confirmed the signing of Semme Lammens after the Royal Antwerp goalkeeper accomplished a medical at Carrington this afternoon and put pen to paper on a five-year contract.
A Protected Pair of Arms
The Crimson Devils have been on the hunt for a brand new primary this summer time after the disastrous performances of each senior goalkeepers at Outdated Trafford, Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
Ruben Amorim has favoured Bayindir for the start of the brand new marketing campaign however the Turkey worldwide dedicated essential errors towards Arsenal and Burnley, whereas trying extraordinarily shaky versus Fulham.
Nevertheless, Onana was even worse than his teammate in his solely begin this season – the humiliating penalty shoot-out loss to League Two Grimsby City within the Carabao Cup, which the previous Inter Milan star virtually single-handedly gifted the Mariners victory in.
There was a determined want for a brand new shot stopper to reach earlier than Monday night’s deadline slammed shut. And United wasted little time within the closing days of the window to make sure one arrived, advancing offers for 2 choices – Lammens and Aston Villa goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez.
Lammens over Martinez
Lammens, 23, has been the goalkeeper United have been most strongly linked to this month after an excellent marketing campaign within the Jupiler Professional League final season.
The Belgium U-21 worldwide, who drew consideration from golf equipment reminiscent of Manchester Metropolis, Inter Milan and Galatasaray earlier this summer time, is taken into account one of many premier prospects in purpose in European soccer and a participant extremely regarded by scouts at Outdated Trafford.
However Antwerp have been aware of their prodigious expertise, and the rising curiosity in securing him from throughout the continent, and have been intent on securing a club-record charge for him because of this.
United had initially hoped to safe a deal within the area of €20 million (£17m). However the Belgian membership, who the Crimson Devils have a long-standing relationship with, have been demanding €25m, with their earlier greatest sale being Arthur Vermeeren to Atletico Madrid for €20m in January 2024.
This protracted negotiation led United to revisit a transfer for Martinez, the 32-year-old World Cup winner with a wealth of Premier League expertise. That they had tried to signal the Argentina worldwide on mortgage earlier in the summertime however the provide was met with a swift rejection by Villa.
Nevertheless, a deal shortly superior this time after United reopened talks, with Martinez speaking his want to full a swap to Outdated Trafford after agreeing private phrases with the Crimson Devils.
This led Villa supervisor, Unai Emery, to drop his primary for final night time’s conflict with Crystal Palace – a match the Villans’ fell to a dismal 3-0 defeat with back-up goalkeeper Marco Bizot making a expensive error in – as a result of Argentine’s head being turned.
However the switch market is a brutal place the place offers will be on the verge of completion solely to fade from beneath gamers a second later – as Martinez will little doubt be aware of tonight.
Regardless of agreeing a contract with Martinez final night time, United wasted no time in advancing a transfer for Lammens right now, placing private phrases with the 23-year-old this morning, earlier than reaching a club-to-club settlement with Antwerp – a deal value €21m with €4m in add-ons – within the early afternoon.
This successfully dominated out any chance of Martinez swapping Villa Park for Outdated Trafford, in addition to ending Villa’s personal curiosity in Lammens as an possibility in purpose – a brutal double blow for the Midlands facet.
Official Affirmation
Launched on the membership’s web site, United have now formally confirmed Lammens’ signing on a contract till June 2023.
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Characteristic picture Octavio Passos through Getty Photographs
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